TNAG-0170-FCO40-206-British-Trade-Commissioner-1969 — Page 96

CONFIDENTIAL

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If they cannot be so financed then no blame must fall on the Hong Kong Government for the failure to carry through the project. Personally, I think this is pushing things a little far especially as the unguided press here immediately use such things as political touchstones of Britain's faith in the Colony.

The University "Student Revolt"

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The business community take the view that this was mostly a newspaper stunt founded on the views of some dissatisfied or crackpot lecturers. At the same time there seems to be growing dissatisfaction at the alleged poor showing of Hong Kong graduates in business and at the alleged lacklustre support given by the Government to technical education. Evidently H.E. is well aware of this and I notice that he had a long paragraph in his Budget Session speech on these matters.

Transport

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5. The Kowloon Motor Bus Company trouble must surely blow up within the next 12 months unless somebody in the Government shows more initiative. The creation of the Transport

- not Department has because of the personalities involved produced any organisation which can make rapid progress with

He seems the Financial Secretary on the royalty question. to be playing a straight bat though (to judge from his Budget

But time is passing Speech) he will give way in the end. amid all this stone walling and as time passes so K.M.B's. existing fleet of buses gradually get more and more decrepit and downright dangerous.

Out of the fleet of approximately 1100 buses, only about 750 are on the road - a very much lower proportion than the China Motor Bus Co. manage to keep going. These 750 are in a deplorable condition in many cases. They are often shamefully overloaded with up to 170 passengers on one double decker. The root problem is that the theories of Adam Smith have served Hong Kong well in general business and financial matters. They, however, are bound to come unstuck in the highly charged political matter of transporting masses of people in dense urban conurbations.

Macao

6.

The British Consul in Macao is taking credit in the Fortuguese Colony for the recent relaxation whereby most members of the Hong Kong Government and the British Services are permitted to go to Macao.

Far Eastern Economic Review

7. You will have seen that Kayser Sung, who has been with the review for many years, left very suddenly a few weeks ago This is obviously and has now joined China Light and Power. connected with the purchase of a 50% interest by the

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Every effort is made to ensure that the information given herein is accurate, but no legal responsibility is accepted for any errors or omis- sions in that information and no responsibility is accepted in regard to the standing of any firms, companies, or individuals mentioned.

CONFIDENTIAL